"Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to play the game," Pippen said last week on ESPN Radio. "But I may go as far as to say LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will but he keeps everybody involved."

And just as the buzz from that was beginning to quiet down, Lakers Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar chimes in with an open letter to Pippen, published in the Los Angeles Times. While most responses to Pippen have dealt with the "best-ever" debate between LeBron and Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar also takes issue with Pippen's opinion of Jordan as the greatest scorer of all time.

"I have nothing but respect for you my friend as an athlete and knowledgeable basketball mind. But you are way off in your assessment of who is the greatest player of all time and the greatest scorer of all time," Abdul-Jabbar wrote.

Wilt Chamberlain, according to Abdul-Jabbar, "undoubtedly was the greatest scorer this game has ever known. ... Did MJ ever score 100 points in a game? How many times did MJ score more than 60 points in a game? MJ led the league in scoring in consecutive seasons for 10 years but he did this in an NBA that eventually expanded into 30 teams vs. when Wilt played and there were only 8 teams. "

Abdul-Jabbar also implies that Chamberlain is the best player of all time, as he played before blocked shot stats were kept and was a league leader in assists in 1967 and '68.

"MJ has to be appraised in perspective," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "His incredible athletic ability, charisma and leadership on the court helped to make basketball popular around the world -- no question about that. But in terms of greatness, MJ has to take a backseat to The Stilt."

Abdul-Jabbar also points out that Bill Russell has 11 titles, to Jordan's six.

"Scottie, the ring is the thing, and everything else is just statistics," he writes. "So I would advise you to do a little homework before crowning Michael or LeBron with the title of best ever."